Clinton calls for release of Myanmar’s Suu Kyi

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday called on Myanmar to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi,stepping up the pressure ahead of President Barack Obama's meeting with the junta's premier.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday called on Myanmar to free opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi,stepping up the pressure ahead of President Barack Obama’s meeting with the junta’s premier.

“We think she should be released,we don’t think she should be in detention,” Clinton told a news conference in Manila,referring to the Nobel laureate,who has spent most of the past 20 years under house arrest.

“We are going to continue to call for her unconditional release.”

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Suu Kyi’s party won the 1990 general elections,but the ruling junta never recognised her victory and has had her in detention for most of the time since then. Clinton said she discussed the Myanmar issue with Philippine President Gloria Arroyo and Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo at the start of a two-day visit here today.

“We are trying to encourage Burma to conduct the kind of internal dialogue with all the stakeholders,including Aung San Suu Kyi,that could lead to there being fair,free and credible elections next year,” Clinton said.

Myanmar’s generals are preparing to hold the first elections in two decades next year,but Aung San Suu Kyi has called for a boycott,calling them a sham designed to legitimise the junta.

Today’s talks took place ahead of Obama’s scheduled meeting in Singapore this weekend with the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,which includes the Philippines and Myanmar.